Pub Date : 2023-01-25DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n2.a10
S. Mellows, Nadine Bowers du Toit
The contribution towards poverty upliftment in South Africa by a faith-based organisation (“FBO”) which practises integrated spirituality has not been clearly ascertained. Based on a case study conducted within the field of Theology and Development, it can be suggested that an FBO, through the practice of holistic spirituality, can empower people who are economically deprived, by assisting them to activate their agency, as their human dignity is affirmed, and vocation recovered. In drawing on resources relating to its faith dimension, including theological concepts such as the imago Dei, shalom and the kingdom of God, in the instance of the study reported on, the role of the FBO can be valuable in development work. The conclusion drawn is that recent interest in inclusion of spirituality within development discourse is to be welcomed as a beneficial addition in striving towards social transformation.
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Pub Date : 2023-01-25DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.r2
Ruhan Fourie
There seems to be a persistent interest in history of the Scottish influence and legacy in southern Africa’s ecclesiastic scene by both academics and the public. It became particularly evident in 2022 when, in the spirit of the bicentennial commemoration of the arrival of the most notable Scottish import, Andrew Murray, the Stellenbosch Theological Journal devoted a special edition to the legacy of the pivotal Murray-clan. It reflected both the richness of existing literature on Scottish influences and legacies in southern Africa, as well as ongoing debates and perceptive thereon. Retief Müller’s The Scots Afrikaners (2021) proves to be a central text in this historiography. The book covers the Scottish influence, and effects thereof, on the Afrikaner people and the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). It covers the period from Lord Charles Somerset’s attempt to anglicise the church in the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century when the Scottish influence waned under the more dominant volkskerk tradition of emergent Afrikaner nationalism. The development of the Scots Afrikaners – a term Müller uses to describe the hybrid identity of Scottish clergy still tethered to the empire, but who identified with the Afrikaner community – and their dominance of ecclesiastical matters in this period is covered extensively.
学术界和公众似乎一直对苏格兰对南部非洲教会的影响和遗产的历史感兴趣。这一点在2022年变得尤为明显，当时，本着最著名的苏格兰人安德鲁·默里(Andrew Murray)到来200周年纪念的精神，《斯泰伦博斯神学杂志》(Stellenbosch Theological Journal)专门出版了一个特别版，介绍了关键的默里家族的遗产。它既反映了关于苏格兰在南部非洲的影响和遗产的现有文献的丰富性，也反映了正在进行的辩论和对其的看法。雷蒂夫·梅勒的《苏格兰阿非利卡人》(2021)被证明是这部史学的核心文本。这本书涵盖了苏格兰对阿非利卡人和荷兰归正教会(DRC)的影响及其影响。它涵盖了从19世纪中叶查尔斯·萨默塞特勋爵(Lord Charles Somerset)试图将教会英国化到20世纪中叶的这段时期，当时苏格兰的影响在新兴的阿非利卡民族主义(Afrikaner nationalism)的更占优势的民间传统下逐渐减弱。苏格兰阿非利卡人的发展——m勒用这个词来描述仍然依附于帝国的苏格兰神职人员的混合身份，但他们认同阿非利卡人社区——以及他们在这一时期对教会事务的主导地位。
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Pub Date : 2023-01-25DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.r1
K. Delport
This is quite simply a marvellous book. In Science Fiction Theology, Alan Gregory has given a model for responsible theological engagement with both literature and pop culture. His vast knowledge and patient exposition of science fiction (SF) and his ability, moreover, to weave deep readings of SF within a sophisticated account of Christian metaphysics are certainly enviable. Those who attempt similar projects of comparison should definitely take notice; reverse-engineering its composition would be worthwhile for any author in the genre.
{"title":"Science Fiction Theology","authors":"K. Delport","doi":"10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.r1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.r1","url":null,"abstract":"This is quite simply a marvellous book. In Science Fiction Theology, Alan Gregory has given a model for responsible theological engagement with both literature and pop culture. His vast knowledge and patient exposition of science fiction (SF) and his ability, moreover, to weave deep readings of SF within a sophisticated account of Christian metaphysics are certainly enviable. Those who attempt similar projects of comparison should definitely take notice; reverse-engineering its composition would be worthwhile for any author in the genre.","PeriodicalId":42487,"journal":{"name":"Stellenbosch Theological Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44055184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-25DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n2.r3
Bryan Cones
The challenges of bridging the cultures and differences of church members are among the most pressing concerns congregations face in urban pluralistic cultures. Add to this a history of oppression and injustice based on race, as one might find in the author’s country of South Africa or in this reviewer’s home in United States of America, and the work becomes decidedly more urgent. One hopes the common prayer that unites congregations, sustained by the personal spiritual practices of members, might support bridges to cross that divide. But how?
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The challenges of bridging the cultures and differences of church members are among the most pressing concerns congregations face in urban pluralistic cultures. Add to this a history of oppression and injustice based on race, as one might find in the author’s country of South Africa or in this reviewer’s home in United States of America, and the work becomes decidedly more urgent. One hopes the common prayer that unites congregations, sustained by the personal spiritual practices of members, might support bridges to cross that divide. But how?
{"title":"A Sense of Belonging","authors":"Stephen Friend","doi":"10.5040/9781350278233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350278233","url":null,"abstract":"The challenges of bridging the cultures and differences of church members are among the most pressing concerns congregations face in urban pluralistic cultures. Add to this a history of oppression and injustice based on race, as one might find in the author’s country of South Africa or in this reviewer’s home in United States of America, and the work becomes decidedly more urgent. One hopes the common prayer that unites congregations, sustained by the personal spiritual practices of members, might support bridges to cross that divide. But how?","PeriodicalId":42487,"journal":{"name":"Stellenbosch Theological Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46472802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-25DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.br3
C. Ullrich
Diagnosing a cultural mood is never easy, not least because our times are marked by a volatility where one can scarcely hold onto anything in the maelstrom of conflicting currents. Here, in South Africa, ‘morbid symptoms’ are painfully being felt in an interregnum where a genuinely new future seems perennially deferred with every crisis that seems to pile upon the last. But a cultural mood is not the same thing as a theological or indeed monastic moment. What, then, is unique about a specifically Christian response when pessimism or enclavist retreat are the order of the day and where hope is in such short supply? The eminent theologian John de Gruchy, with characteristic perspicuity enters this malaise with a composed but urgent plea for us to “listen again” to what the “Spirit is saying.” This academically astute but readable text journeys through themes and figures (Calvin, Barth, Bonhoeffer, and Merton, among many others) which have distinguished de Gruchy’s career as a public theologian, while he casts his net into the far reaches of Christianity’s early history up to the present, offering an absorbing narrative whose golden thread is that of monasticism.
{"title":"This Monastic Moment","authors":"C. Ullrich","doi":"10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.br3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.br3","url":null,"abstract":"Diagnosing a cultural mood is never easy, not least because our times are marked by a volatility where one can scarcely hold onto anything in the maelstrom of conflicting currents. Here, in South Africa, ‘morbid symptoms’ are painfully being felt in an interregnum where a genuinely new future seems perennially deferred with every crisis that seems to pile upon the last. But a cultural mood is not the same thing as a theological or indeed monastic moment. What, then, is unique about a specifically Christian response when pessimism or enclavist retreat are the order of the day and where hope is in such short supply? The eminent theologian John de Gruchy, with characteristic perspicuity enters this malaise with a composed but urgent plea for us to “listen again” to what the “Spirit is saying.” This academically astute but readable text journeys through themes and figures (Calvin, Barth, Bonhoeffer, and Merton, among many others) which have distinguished de Gruchy’s career as a public theologian, while he casts his net into the far reaches of Christianity’s early history up to the present, offering an absorbing narrative whose golden thread is that of monasticism.","PeriodicalId":42487,"journal":{"name":"Stellenbosch Theological Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43717587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-25DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n2.a8
Patrick Nanthambwe, V. Magezi
The pursuit of a fulfilling existence is a common goal among all human beings. As a result, promoting and sustaining quality humanhood or personhood (quality life) is the ultimate goal that international institutions, continental and regional bodies, and nations strive for. From a religious standpoint, theology and Christian religion need to contribute to helping people achieve the quality of life that humanhood aspires to. Consequently, pastoral care as a frontline ministry is positioned to play a leading role in fulfilling this function within church settings. Due to the public nature of this responsibility, the pastoral ministry should acquire a public pastoral care dimension in which community development is enhanced. Therefore, this article argues for public pastoral care as a solution to meeting the challenges faced by communities in Africa.
{"title":"Community development as an embodiment of pastoral care in Africa","authors":"Patrick Nanthambwe, V. Magezi","doi":"10.17570/stj.2022.v8n2.a8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17570/stj.2022.v8n2.a8","url":null,"abstract":"The pursuit of a fulfilling existence is a common goal among all human beings. As a result, promoting and sustaining quality humanhood or personhood (quality life) is the ultimate goal that international institutions, continental and regional bodies, and nations strive for. From a religious standpoint, theology and Christian religion need to contribute to helping people achieve the quality of life that humanhood aspires to. Consequently, pastoral care as a frontline ministry is positioned to play a leading role in fulfilling this function within church settings. Due to the public nature of this responsibility, the pastoral ministry should acquire a public pastoral care dimension in which community development is enhanced. Therefore, this article argues for public pastoral care as a solution to meeting the challenges faced by communities in Africa.","PeriodicalId":42487,"journal":{"name":"Stellenbosch Theological Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43091679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-20DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.a22
Ebenezer Tetteh Kpalam, Hannelie Yates, M. Kotzé
The doctrine of the Trinity is a doctrine that should have real and practical implications for daily Christian living. Proponents of the relational view of the Trinity believe that the relationship that exists between the triune God is a relationship of love, equality, and reciprocity. Consequently, this should reflect in the quality of relationship and caring activities created and extended by faith communities. Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is considered a crime in most societies. It has a devastating long-term effect on the child, family, and society. As a result, all stakeholders are called upon to respond to this menace in society. There is evidence that any effective Christian response should be informed by critical theological reflections. As such, theological reflections sparked by public issues of importance should be rooted in the Christian faith traditions. This article posits that the relational view of the Trinity could be a useful theological resource for pastoral response to CSA.
{"title":"Utilization of Christian doctrine as a theological resource","authors":"Ebenezer Tetteh Kpalam, Hannelie Yates, M. Kotzé","doi":"10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.a22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.a22","url":null,"abstract":"The doctrine of the Trinity is a doctrine that should have real and practical implications for daily Christian living. Proponents of the relational view of the Trinity believe that the relationship that exists between the triune God is a relationship of love, equality, and reciprocity. Consequently, this should reflect in the quality of relationship and caring activities created and extended by faith communities. Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is considered a crime in most societies. It has a devastating long-term effect on the child, family, and society. As a result, all stakeholders are called upon to respond to this menace in society. There is evidence that any effective Christian response should be informed by critical theological reflections. As such, theological reflections sparked by public issues of importance should be rooted in the Christian faith traditions. This article posits that the relational view of the Trinity could be a useful theological resource for pastoral response to CSA.","PeriodicalId":42487,"journal":{"name":"Stellenbosch Theological Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42970434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-17DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n2.a9
D. Louw
Within the ineluctable contingency of death and dying as horrifying and terrifying existential prospects, the notion of “grave” immediately corresponds with the natural facticity of human decomposition and the fear for death and dying. Decomposition is, in fact, a natural process beginning several minutes after death, with a process called autolysis, or self-digestion. From a pastoral and spiritual perspective, the following research questions surface: Could a Christian spirituality of grace and a theological aesthetics of brokenness contribute to start seeing in the loss of body physique and the exposure of life to the inevitable process of existential disintegration and eventual decay, a growth perspective (embodied spirituality) that contributes to the beautification of both living and dying? Rather than a nihilistic approach, it is argued that in a Christian meta-physics of resurrection hope, an eschatological approach discovers in decay, aging and deterioration, a “more” than dust-of-death-perspective. An aesthetics of immortality implies a “spirituality of more” transcending the death and funeral formula of “ashes for ashes, dust to dust”. It even surpasses an epistemology of empirical seeing and observational reasoning reducing human embodiment to the decomposition of a mortifying body, lying under the ground: “Stinking like a rotting carcass, and consumed by maggots and worms” (Martin Luther). According to Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 15:37–38, the natural body (psychikon), and the so called “soulless corpse”, are in fact not to be reduced to organic processes of decomposition. In an aesthetics of mortality, human embodiment is about a spiritual process of pneumatic germination bodies (pneumatikon). Perhaps, the reason why J. S Bach wrote a cantata with the challenging title “Come you sweet hour of death”.
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Pub Date : 2023-01-17DOI: 10.17570/stj.2022.v8n1.a15
Julius Mutugi. Gathogo
African ecclesiology has experienced peculiar theological scenes right from the days of the Arianism and Donatism controversies in the first century to the present moment when a liturgy of Africa is still a pipedream. By use of theo-historical-analytical design, this article explores the quest for a liturgy of Africa by retracing some key trends such as the moratorium debates of the 1970s and other key attempts at the inculturation of liturgy in Africa. In other words, was the call for a moratorium by John Gatu and other African ecclesiastical leaders geared towards a liturgy of Africa rather than a liturgy for Africa? What are the concrete areas that needs “liturgical inculturation” especially in regard to the Eucharist? The article sets out on the premise that the calls for moratorium since the 1970s were part of Afro-Ecclesiastical and Afro-liturgical initiatives, a phenomenon that Africa has yearned for since the era of the 19th and 20th century missionary enterprises. In its methodology, the article has extensively reviewed existing literature in regard to the quest for a “Liturgy of Africa” as opposed to the foreign induced “Liturgy for Africa,” by illustrating from some mainline churches and the African instituted churches’ ecclesiological discourses. The article has also relied heavily on the author’s experiences as a participant observer among some African churches. Certainly, the quest for a liturgy of Africa is in its initial stage; and the task ahead is tremendous. In view of this, we should swing into action, take up the challenge with courage and creativity, till Christianity in Africa is Africanized. In post Covid-19 Africa, a more creative liturgical practicum will be the way to go.
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